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WALTER BENNET: GOOD RIDDANCE TO CABINET

By Bodwa Mbingo | 2018-09-14

Businessman Walter Bennett is ecstatic that finally cabinet ministers led by former Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini have vacated office.

Bennett has, therefore, thanked His Majesty King Mswati for appointing Interim Prime Minister Vincent Mhlanga to hold fort, stating that he will be called upon to look into a host of issues that are affecting the nation.

He prayed that God grants him wisdom and kept his fingers crossed that his ancestors guide him throughout his term. He said he would definitely bring a number of issues to him, including one that involves former Housing and Urban Development Minister Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza relating to the Municipal Council of Mbabane and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gideon Mhlongo.

The former senator minced no words, stating that the recent cabinet did not help in addressing matters that have resulted in the Eswatini society being disintegrated. Speaking to journalists at his offices at Dlan’ubeka Building in Mbabane yesterday, Bennett conceded that not all the ministers messed up during their term, but most of them did, unfortunately.

The Buzzby Services founder stated that the issue of public officials being paid for doing nothing should come to an end.

Numerous

“Kuyasonakalela,” he stated in vernacular while stressing that something had to be done before the situation gets out of hand.

He added: “Numerous projects that are undertaken in this country end up exceeding budget, resulting in our children failing to obtain scholarships. At the hospitals, there are no drugs. All this is happening in our country yet Cabinet ministers are all there to watch. All this is happening right under their watch”.

Bennett highlighted that it is distasteful that the former prime minister would dare to associate the word; ‘lidlokolo’ to a retirement home that has been afforded to him through the public purse and has been blessed by the King.

He said it was worrying that there are allegations doing rounds that money for the construction of the PM’s retirement home are no longer with the Treasury department, but in people’s personal accounts to ensure that the construction of the house is completed.

“We even hear that a new Range Rover is coming for the PM and we don’t know what will happen to the one that was stoned by unknown people during a soccer match between Highlanders and Swallows (capital city giants) some time back,” he said.

After dissolving the 10th Parliament on June 20, 2018 during the people’s parliament at Ludzidzini Royal Cattle Byre, His Majesty the King went on to dissolve Cabinet on September 4.

Bennett had little to thank from the dissolved cabinet, but instead lamented the current situation where the country has found the public purse very dry while there are ministers that should have been looking after it.

granted

He said currently, there are many children of Emaswati who are without scholarships to further their studies in tertiary institutions.

He lamented that there are now competitions to encourage people to pay their television licences and that already there are people who have been granted such tenders and are putting sums of money into their pockets.

“Our pride, the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) is dying a peaceful death right before our departed cabinet. We also have some satellite institutions like Limkokwing which are offering diplomas yet there are no jobs after they complete their studies. We have the institution for higher learning belonging to the Koreans and we have one belonging to the Nazarenes. Soon, we’ll be having one belonging to the Zionists, then the Anglicans and then the Jerichos. And all we’re doing is milking away the subventions. That is all they want and that is the share in the big government cheque,” he said.

lamented

The former senator noted that in the process of all the above, the country is dying a slow death. He also lamented that students now obtain their qualifications through the courts where they are ridiculed and told that they have copied their examinations right before their future employers.

He said once they win the court cases, it proves difficult for them to then obtain jobs from the very potential employers who then no longer have confidence in them due to the various accusations of coping from their institutions.

“But, what happens when we have people that are poorly educated but are bishops and doctors? Surely, society does disintegrate.

This is what happens in a society where people are not involved in their own affairs. I am grateful that the Cabinet has left office as numerous issues have been brought before them and nothing has happened to address them,” he added.

He added that the past Cabinet has left nothing to inspire educated people in the country to take up politics and go to parliament to become cabinet ministers.